U of C study suggests we are driving ourselves to greater obesity

According to a new U of C study, the more time drivers spend behind the wheel, the more likely they are to be overweight. (Calgary Herald/File)Ted Rhodes
/ Calgary Herald

According to a new U of C study, the more time drivers spend behind the wheel, the more likely they are to be overweight. (Calgary Herald/File)Gavin Young
/ Calgary Herald

Gavin McCormick, an assistant professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, says research suggests that the more time you spend driving, the more likely you are to be overweight.Riley Brandt

If you’re worried about your waistline, put down your keys and step away — or better yet, walk, run or cycle away — from your car, says Gavin McCormack, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. In a literature review published in Preventive Medicine this month, McCormack examines the effect driving has on motorists’ weight. The conclusion: the more time drivers spend behind the wheel, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese. Here are five things to know about McCormack’s report, Driving towards obesity.

1. Couch potato, car potato?

Driving a motor vehicle is considered a “sedentary behaviour,” McCormack says. More simply: driving means sitting.

“There’s been a whole bunch of studies come out showing that being sedentary is bad for our health, including increasing our risk of (being) overweight, and obesity. What the review found was in actual fact, yes, the more adults drive, the more likely they are to be either overweight or obese,” says McCormack.

In his review, McCormack found 10 studies, including one in Calgary, examining the issue. Among them, eight found a “statistically significant positive association,” between time and distance travelled in a vehicle, and its driver’s weight.

“We’re confident there is a relationship between driving behaviour and weight status and it’s not just a chance finding,” McCormack says.

The review didn’t come up with a precise time measurement looking at how driving X amount of time leads to X pounds. However, the Calgary study, for instance, which collected data in 2007/08, found adults driving more than 30 minutes a day were more likely to be overweight and obese compared to those who drove less than a half-hour.

“That finding was independent of how much physical activity people do. It’s suggesting that it doesn’t matter how active you are, the more you drive, the more likely you are to be overweight or obese,” McCormack says.

2. Examining the car factor may be one way to help fight obesity

McCormack says he was motivated to study the issue in hopes of prompting decision-makers to begin looking beyond traditional ideas for dealing with weight issues among adults.

“We’re amid an obesity epidemic. Many of the interventions and programs that are going on often focus on the individual, trying to change their physical activity and diet and so on,” McCormack says.

“Given that the majority of adults drive every day, it provides sort of a target for intervention by trying to get adults to change their driving behaviour just a little bit, which could have widespread positive implications with regard to weight status.”

3. There’s still more to learn about how driving relates to packing on pounds

“The relationship is quite complex,” McCormack says.

On the one hand, the obvious factors apply when it comes to sitting and expending little energy behind the wheel, compared to walking, cycling or even taking transit, he says. The connection could also relate to diet: “Some of the studies we looked at also found that the more you drive, the more likely you are to visit drive-thru restaurants.”

Further study is also needed to look at other factors, including breaking out data on time spent behind the wheel by people who are already overweight or who have underlying health issues.

4. Attention city planners

The issue goes beyond just drivers and their cars, McCormack says. He hopes to gain the attention of urban planners to make neighbourhoods more walkable, so residents are likely to stroll to their local grocery store instead of automatically jumping in the car. Making communities more cycle-friendly could help make a difference, too, he says, along with improved public transit with more frequent and direct routes between homes and destinations such as shops and cafes.

Only an organization like FIFA would expect a provincial government to sign a contract that FIFA’s bosses...

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.